Stuck mower blade bolt... really stuck...

[mvbighead]

Well guys, looking for comments on how to proceed...

I have a 52" Exmark Turf Tracer that has been a very good mower for me, and I had sharpened the blades earlier this season with no problem. This time around, I need to resharpen them because I, like an idiot, ran over something fairly solid that got picked up and whacked the blades good.

I sharpened two blade with no issue at all. The third blade simply will not come off as the bolt is stuck.

I've tried heat and penetrating oil, and I have a new impact wrench (http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-professional-air-impact-wrench-68424.html) that seems to have a bit more oomph (~700 compared to 220 ft lbs) than my Craftsman C3 19.2v cordless (which is generally sufficient for most things). I have also tried a breaker bar plus cheater pipe (but sadly only had a piece of copper pipe which seems to flex too much). I have purchased a new 60" section of steel pipe to be used as my new cheater pipe, but have yet to attempt in hopes that I can do something that hopefully won't destroy the spindle.

Purchased some "freezing" compound that is said to free "rusted" bolts, but I fear that rust is not the problem that I am dealing with. I was thinking that heat causes expansion, so if I can get it good and cold, that should cause contraction, and perhaps that would give me a chance? Is supposedly a freezing lubricating compound (something like http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Line-Fr...zing+lubricant).

I am still thinking about how I should do this. If I break the spindle, I'd be out roughly $100 to buy a new one on ebay or something. I've read (after already attempting this) that heat may not be the best thing to use near the spindle. I'm at a loss. My only other option is to borrow a trailer and drag it to a mechanic with a better quality impact and hope that their stuff can break it free, but the trouble there lies in driving 30 mile round trip to go get a trailer, and 30 miles round trip to return it.

As it is, the mower is working fine, but that particular blade is simply stuck on there tighter than I can seem to get to move. And since it flexes and tried so turn, I fear that is taking away some of my leverage. Any pointers?

TLDR: Blade on super tight, has been removed a few months ago so it shouldn't be rusted. Impact and other tools seem to be of no use.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Left handed bolt/nut?

 

[phucheneh]

HF 1/2" impact = weaksauce. Might get some decent torque going if you crank like 125psi through it.

Just get a breaker bar and wedge something between the blade and deck. I've broken 300-400ftlb bolts/nuts loose with a 3ft bar.

 

[mvbighead]

HF 1/2" impact = weaksauce. Might get some decent torque going if you crank like 125psi through it.

Just get a breaker bar and wedge something between the blade and deck. I've broken 300-400ftlb bolts/nuts loose with a 3ft bar.

Well I am running their 21 gallon HF compressor, and it gets some decent pop when full at 125 PSI. You can definitely tell when the PSI drops to 90 and the compressor kicks on to bring the pressure back up.

Sadly, I am just a part time "mechanical" guy, so I can't justify spending much on really top quality tools.

I am hoping the new breaker bar not flexing will help. But getting the spindle to not spin has been a bit of a pain. Also, trying to find ways to hold it without slipping into the blade is proving to be an issue. I was able to get a wrench on the back side of the spindle head (opposite the bolt), but it was seemingly easier to block the blade. All I know is, this sucker is on tight, and the last day I tried was humid as all get out and tried for a good long while before I finally gave up.

 

[mvbighead]

Left handed bolt/nut?

Nope. Like I said, the other two came off with ease. This is the only problematic one.

 

[Raizinman]

Using heat and cold correctly is often confusing. You want to apply cold to the bolt and heat to the part the bolt screws in to, likely the spindle. The heat on the spindle causes the metal to expand and the cold on the bolt causes the metal to contract. When you have done this, the impact wrench will be able to remove the bolt.

 

[mvbighead]

I tried everything I mentioned... And it is still stuck. Heat. More heat. Cold... more cold. Heat the 'spindle", freeze the bolt. Same thing. The more and more I try, the less happens. I finally just gave up and mowed with the damn thing.

My last attempts involved a new pair of vice grips clamped to the deck to keep the blade from spinning (worked great). A 5 ft section of steel pipe and a breaker bar. The more I pulled, the mower just started moving around. I am thinking it'd need to be pinned against the wall to get anywhere.

I'm using a MAP gas torch, and I've yet to see the bolt get cherry red, but I've had it on there for a good 30 seconds or so.

At this point, I am about ready to simply go borrow a trailer and take it to a mechanic with a higher quality impact and hope he has enough torque to pop it off.

 

[jaha2000]

had this happen to me on my exmark this spring..
Ended up with a 10 foot bolt on a half inch drive breaker bar to get it off..
Anti seize is your friend..

 

[Squisher]

I tried everything I mentioned... And it is still stuck. Heat. More heat. Cold... more cold. Heat the 'spindle", freeze the bolt. Same thing. The more and more I try, the less happens. I finally just gave up and mowed with the damn thing.

My last attempts involved a new pair of vice grips clamped to the deck to keep the blade from spinning (worked great). A 5 ft section of steel pipe and a breaker bar. The more I pulled, the mower just started moving around. I am thinking it'd need to be pinned against the wall to get anywhere.

I'm using a MAP gas torch, and I've yet to see the bolt get cherry red, but I've had it on there for a good 30 seconds or so.

At this point, I am about ready to simply go borrow a trailer and take it to a mechanic with a higher quality impact and hope he has enough torque to pop it off.

I think you're close. Now, rather than vise grips you need to make that blade totally immobile. It can't give, even a little. This is why breaker bars work better than ratchets. Inside a ratchet all those gears are giving a little, a breaker bar is solid. Maybe a 4"X 4" block c-clamped to the deck and use a breaker bar with a cheater pipe and use a quick swift motion, no slowly applying pressure.

 

[brainhulk]

Drill it!

 

[mvbighead]

Drill it!

Ugh... no.

Forgive me for not being a master with this stuff, but this is a pretty damned solid bolt. I have abused the hell out of it, but it still is barely showing the abuse (there is some marking from all of the impact wrenching it has been getting). In the end, if I can get this sucker freed, I'll probably have to replace the spindle. Sucks... but what can I do.

 

[olds]

...

I'm using a MAP gas torch, and I've yet to see the bolt get cherry red, but I've had it on there for a good 30 seconds or so...

30 seconds doesn't seem anywhere near long enough.

 

[Mandres]

I've never seen a bolt that wouldn't come loose after a bit of the old MAPP. Sounds kind of bizarre.

I think you're best shot is either to find a massive 8 foot cheater pipe or bite the bullet and heat it up cherry red. If it destroys the spindle then so be it.

 

[jaha2000]

No need to use vice grips or anything on an exmark btw, there should be wrench flats on the spindle shaft just above the blade for taking them off. That way you can wedge it with a wrench and a cheater if necessary.

 

[mvbighead]

No need to use vice grips or anything on an exmark btw, there should be wrench flats on the spindle shaft just above the blade for taking them off. That way you can wedge it with a wrench and a cheater if necessary.

It does have that, and I used it at one point, but it is quite hard to do anything as one guy when you're trying to get leverage. Most car bolts I have dealt with, the car keeps everything else in place and you're free to pull and pull.

The vice grip is working well, and isn't budging one iota. But I suspect there could be some flex somewhere that is keeping the bolt from popping loose.

I am hoping for a day I can get my brother out to help, as I don't think I can get much out of my wife in regard to all of this. I suppose I could get the bolt hotter, but I've held the MAPP on there for a good long while and it never gets red. Hmmmm....

 

[mvbighead]

had this happen to me on my exmark this spring..
Ended up with a 10 foot bolt on a half inch drive breaker bar to get it off..
Anti seize is your friend..

Yeesh... a ten footer. I almost bit on a ten foot pipe, but figured I might break something.

At this point, the only downside would be being without the mower under the spindle arrives (if I did break it).

And yes, I was definitely considering anti-seize for the next time.

Hmmm... do I now go and buy a new pipe? I am also wondering if I should just get it pinned against a wall so it can't slide around, if that'd help enough with the 5 ft bar. Decisions...

 

[LTC8K6]

Have you tried hitting the end of a longish wrench with something to try and break the bolt loose?

 

[JCH13]

Get a 4lb hammer from HF and hit a breaker bar with it. Hard.

Get some ATF or Boeshield and spray down the threads with, to loosen things up. PB blaster is for suckers.

 

[marvdmartian]

I think you're close. Now, rather than vise grips you need to make that blade totally immobile. It can't give, even a little. This is why breaker bars work better than ratchets. Inside a ratchet all those gears are giving a little, a breaker bar is solid. Maybe a 4"X 4" block c-clamped to the deck and use a breaker bar with a cheater pipe and use a quick swift motion, no slowly applying pressure.

Doesn't hurt, if you have a buddy with a larger size drive breaker bar & socket, to try that too. I have broken a 1/2" breaker bar, with just a 5' cheater bar. Went back to the shop, grabbed a 3/4 drive breaker bar and socket, and manhandled that damn nut off!! :twisted:

 

[Derek v]

I tried everything I mentioned... And it is still stuck. Heat. More heat. Cold... more cold. Heat the 'spindle", freeze the bolt. Same thing. The more and more I try, the less happens. I finally just gave up and mowed with the damn thing.

My last attempts involved a new pair of vice grips clamped to the deck to keep the blade from spinning (worked great). A 5 ft section of steel pipe and a breaker bar. The more I pulled, the mower just started moving around. I am thinking it'd need to be pinned against the wall to get anywhere.

I'm using a MAP gas torch, and I've yet to see the bolt get cherry red, but I've had it on there for a good 30 seconds or so.

At this point, I am about ready to simply go borrow a trailer and take it to a mechanic with a higher quality impact and hope he has enough torque to pop it off.

Best solution, so simple I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner.

Well guys, looking for comments on how to proceed...

I have a 52" Exmark Turf Tracer that has been a very good mower for me, and I had sharpened the blades earlier this season with no problem. This time around, I need to resharpen them because I, like an idiot, ran over something fairly solid that got picked up and whacked the blades good.

I sharpened two blade with no issue at all. The third blade simply will not come off as the bolt is stuck.

I've tried heat and penetrating oil, and I have a new impact wrench (http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-professional-air-impact-wrench-68424.html) that seems to have a bit more oomph (~700 compared to 220 ft lbs) than my Craftsman C3 19.2v cordless (which is generally sufficient for most things). I have also tried a breaker bar plus cheater pipe (but sadly only had a piece of copper pipe which seems to flex too much). I have purchased a new 60" section of steel pipe to be used as my new cheater pipe, but have yet to attempt in hopes that I can do something that hopefully won't destroy the spindle.

Purchased some "freezing" compound that is said to free "rusted" bolts, but I fear that rust is not the problem that I am dealing with. I was thinking that heat causes expansion, so if I can get it good and cold, that should cause contraction, and perhaps that would give me a chance? Is supposedly a freezing lubricating compound (something like http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Line-Fr...zing+lubricant).

I am still thinking about how I should do this. If I break the spindle, I'd be out roughly $100 to buy a new one on ebay or something. I've read (after already attempting this) that heat may not be the best thing to use near the spindle. I'm at a loss. My only other option is to borrow a trailer and drag it to a mechanic with a better quality impact and hope that their stuff can break it free, but the trouble there lies in driving 30 mile round trip to go get a trailer, and 30 miles round trip to return it.

As it is, the mower is working fine, but that particular blade is simply stuck on there tighter than I can seem to get to move. And since it flexes and tried so turn, I fear that is taking away some of my leverage. Any pointers?

TLDR: Blade on super tight, has been removed a few months ago so it shouldn't be rusted. Impact and other tools seem to be of no use.

I'm sure you solved your problem by now, but I was having the same issues with my new/used mower. Showed up here for advice.
Then I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it to start with.
The perfect solution is a 4 way lug wrench. Works like a charm. 15/16ths also happens to be a popular lug size for RV's and the like, so you may even have one already.

 

[Derek v]

Best solution, so simple I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner.

I'm sure you solved your problem by now, but I was having the same issues with my new/used mower. Showed up here for advice.
Then I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it to start with.
The perfect solution is a 4 way lug wrench. Works like a charm. 15/16ths also happens to be a popular lug size for RV's and the like, so you may even have one already.

Of course you still want to use some penetrating oil. A healthy amount of it. 3-in-1 oil will work in a pinch.
I had to pull everything off of my deck to weld some cracks on the spindle mount, and the wrench worked great to loosen th drive wheels as well.
The spindles are still in great shape, and it didn't torque any of the cracks worse either.

 

[Sgt. York]

Real men fire up their compressor, crank the psi up to 125 lbs., break out their 1/2" or 3/4" impact wrench and just get er done!

 

[jlee]

Of course you still want to use some penetrating oil. A healthy amount of it. 3-in-1 oil will work in a pinch.
I had to pull everything off of my deck to weld some cracks on the spindle mount, and the wrench worked great to loosen th drive wheels as well.
The spindles are still in great shape, and it didn't torque any of the cracks worse either.

ATF / acetone mix ftw.

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